Coin freed apparatus



N0. 608,750. Patented Allg. 9, |893. A. E. BOX. COIN FREED APPARATUS.

(Application filed Dec. 2B, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

mi Norms PETERS ce, mom-uma., wnsnwcrrou n c.

Patented Aug. 9, |8398.V

A. E. BOX.

COIN FREED APPARATUS.

(Application Bled Dec. 28, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

ma Nonms PETERS co. moro-mmc. WASHINGTON. n. c

No. 608,750. Patented Aug. 9, |898.

A. E. Box. com FRI-:En APPARATUS.`

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

'ma Nonms ruins CQPNGTQUMQ. WASHINGTON. c c

lllnirien rares! artnr COINBFREED APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,750, dated August 9, 1898. PPHGMOD filed December 2311897- SGTM NO- 663,930. (No model.) Patented in Germany January 13,1898,No. 95,711.

T0 all wifi/0m t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED EBENEZER BOX,

mechanical engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 14: St. Bride road, Egremont, county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Freed Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, this invention having been patented to me in Germany under date of January 13,1898, No. 95,711.

This invention relates to coin-freed mechanism for performing various functionssuch as, for instance, the control of a valve, electrical switch, clockwork, and other simi* lar or equivalent functions.

For the purpose of controlling-21 e., opening and closing, releasing and arrestinga valve, electrical switch, clockwork, or the like I utilize the motion of a radially-moving arm, and I obtain the deflection and the return movement of said arm by means of a gear which is operated, primarily, by a coin in conjunction with' hand manipulation, and, secondarily, by the movement or action of the` mechanism which has been released.

In the drawings hereto annexed my inven tion is shown applied to the valve of a gasmeter.

Figure lis a sectional elevation showing the coin and hand operated gear. Fig. 2 shows the connection of the coin and hand operated gear with the gas-valve opening and closing gear. Fig. 2A is a detail showing the valve-operating lever. Fig. 3 shows the connection of the gas-valve opening and closing gear with the registering mechanism of the meter, and Fig. fi is a side View thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the radially-moving arm of myinvention in two positions. Figs. G and 7 are detail views of the coin and hand gear in two positions.

a is the cylindrical coinfcarrier, having transverse walls forming a coin-slot b, said carrier being loosely mounted on a spindle c and provided with a handle d. The coincarrier is closed on its outer side and open on the inner, and one edge is rabbeted or cut away, as shown by dotted lines at a in Fig. 2 and in Figs. G and 7. Loosely mounted on the spindle c is a disk e, having projections c', extending laterally from the edge thereof into the plane of the cutaway portion of the coin-carrier, and notches f in the edge of the disk intermediate the projections, which notches receive a pawl f. If a coin be inserted in the carrier ci and the latter is ro tated by the handle d, the cut-away portion a of the carriera uncovers the pawl f. Further rotation causes the edge of the coin as to engage with one of the projections c on the disk e and turns the latter. On completion of the prescribed travel of the carrier a the pawl f again engages with a notch f in the disk c and locks the latter, the pawl being prevented from rising out of the notch by the projecting portions of the carrier, which now cover it, Figs. 6 and 7. The coin then falls `from the carrier into a cash-box and the carrier may be returned to its original position and the operation repeated.

On the back of the disk @are formed teeth e2, which engage with and turn the pinionwheel g, mounted on the spindle g. On the inner end of the spindle g is formed a worm g2, which engages with and turns a worm- `wheel h, loosely mounted on the spindle h'.

Fixedly mounted on the spindle 7i is a radially-moving segmental arm t'. .Iournaled in the arm c' is one end of a gyratory shaft 7.a, on which is keyed a pinion-wheel Z, which gears with the wheel h. The pivoted Aend of the shaft 7o forms a universal joint 7a with a worm-wheel k2, gearing with a worm 7c3 on the spindle 7a4, which is rotated by the changewheels k6, spindle 765, worm-wheel k7, and a worm mounted on the under spindle 7t8 of the meter, Fig. 4E. Y

In operation when a coin is placed in the carrier ct and the latter is rotated such rotation is communicated through the disk c, pinion g, and worm g? tothe wheel h. As the gyratory shaft k is prevented from revolving on its own axis by the wheel 7a2, the pinionwheel Z, shaft 7e, and radial arm i are consequently carried around by the wheel 72 and I use this deflection or movement of the radial p arm to perform the function required of .the apparatus-namely, the opening of the gasvalve m, as shown in the drawings hereto anneXed-or any equivalent function. The arm e' operates the spindle of the valve m by means of the loosely-pivoted forked lever n, Fig. 2^. It will be seen that the extremity n of this IOO lever is so formed that When the arm 't' is deflected by the insertion of a coin and movement of the carrier the lever 't' Will strike against the outer arm of the lever, and the otherarm, which engages the end of the valvespindle, as shown in Figs. 2 and 2A, Will open the valve. As a precautionary measure in case the lever n is shaken back into the path of the arm il the extremity n is inclined, so that the returning arm pushes it aside. The gas-valve m having been opened, the gas-registering mechanism of the meter is put in operation and the index-spindle ka commences to rotate. Consequently the Wheel 71:7, spindle 765, Wheels 7c, Worm k3, and-Wheel 752 are rotated, and with the latter are rotated the gyratory shaft k and pinion-Wheel Z. The Wheel Z thus Works its Way around the stationary Wheel h and returns the arm f to its original position and closes the valve m. The insertion of one coin and a prescribed revolution of the carrier causes the radial arm to revolve a certain distance about its spindle, and by placing another coin in the carrier and again revolving the latter the arm is further deflected, and this operation of prepaying a number of coins into the meter may be repeated a certain number of times until the arm has been deflected to its limit.

A pointer o is mounted on the arm c`, which indicates on an index-plate j) the degree of deiiection of such arm, and consequently the number of coins which have been prepaid into the meter, and in connection with this device or in connection with the index of the meter I may arrange a train of Wheels which register and indicate the total number of coins placed in the meter.

Vhat I claim in respect of the herein-described invention isl. In a coin-freed apparatus, the combination with the freeing and stopping part and the registering part, of a vibrating arm adapted to operate said freeing part, a gear-wheel loosely mounted on the axis of said vibrating arm, coin-controlled mechanism having connections to said gear-Wheel for operating the same, a gyratory shaft journaled at one end in said vibrating arm andhavin g a gear meshing with said gear-Wheel,a transmitting-Wheel at the opposite end of said gyratory shaft, a universal-joint connection between said transmitting-Wheel and gyratory shaft and operating connections between said transmitting- Wheel and the registering part whereby the movement of the apparatus restores the vibrating arm to its initial position, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a coin-freed meter, with the reciprocating freeing and stopping parts, of the hinged vibrating arm z', the coincarrier d; the disk c, Worm g2, operated thereby, Worm-Wheel h meshing With and driven by g2, and having its axis coincident with that of the arm, and toothed Wheel l mounted on the arm i', and meshing with h, and connected With and operated from the operative parts of the meter in passing or supplying goods; substantially as set forth.

3. In a coin-freed meter, the combination With the reciprocating opening and closing part thereof, of the vibrating hinged arm or lever c', and the hinged lever n; With a jaW at its end connected With said opening and closing part, operated by the lever n and the lever t', and the coin-controlled mechanism for operating lever i; substantially as set forth.

4. In a coin-freed apparatus, the combination with the cylindrical rotary coin-carrier a operated by hand, of a disk e, with parts thereon adapted to be acted upon by the coin When introduced into the carrier, the pawl f adapted to engage With notches f in the said disk, the said coin-carrier rim being cut away at one part to allow the part to be raisedl out of its engagement with said disk, and extended at another part over the path of said paWl, to prevent it being disengaged from the disk; substantially as set forth.

5. In a coin-freed apparatus the combination of the rotary cylindrical coin-carrier a, with coin-holding slot b, and cut-away portion a', the disk e on the inner end ofthe aXis of a With inward projections e', and recesses f, and paWl f/ the end of which is disposed under the cylinder a, and operate in connection with the disk e and recesses f; substantially as set forth.

6. In a coin-freed apparatus, the combination of the rotary cylindrical coin-carrier d, With slot b; disk c with projections e', adapted to be acted upon by the coins in b, and teeth c2; the pinion g meshing With e2; worm g2 connected With and driven by g,- Worm- Wheel h meshing With and driven from g2; arm z' for freeing and stopping the apparatus, pinion Zsupported on arm t', operated and controlled by parts of apparatus used in passing or delivering goods, and meshing with 71,; substantially as set forth.

7. In a coin-freed apparatus, the combination With a reciprocating part, adapted to free and stop the apparatus, of the hinged vibrating arm i, and the hinged vibrating arm n, engaging said freeing and stopping reciproeating part, and provided With a fork at its end, and an outwardly-extended part n', Within Which fork the free end of said arm c' is disposed and Works, and coin-controlled mechanism for operating said arm t',- substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALFRED EBENEZER BOX.

NVitnesses:

JOHN H. WALKER, WILLIAM I. HUMPHRIES.

IOO

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